Link cuff-button.



I PATENTED JULY 14,,1908.

No. 898,109, F. R. STAFFORD.

LINK-CUFF BUTTON. APPLIOATLON FILED rsnizz; 190s.

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FRANK R. STAFFORD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

LINK CUFF-BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed February 24, 1908. Serial No.1417,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Link Cuff- Buttons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Llke reference numerals indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing my improved link cufi button in wearing position and engaged with the button-holes of a starched cuff. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the two parts of said cufi button in the first position for connecting the same to each other. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said link cuff button in its wearing or locked position, said position being shown as 90 from that illustrated in Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show different consecutivepositions of the parts of said cuff button, as will be presently explained, which positions are those assumed by said parts while they are brought in their several relations to each other during manipulation.

My invention relates to separable link buttons for use in cuffs, and it consists of the novel construction and combination of the several parts thereof, as specifically described and claimed.

In the drawings are shown two buttons, designated as 1 and 2 and preferably of the same shape and size, or they may differin these respects and in their ornamentation, as may be desired. The button 1 has an elongated O-shaped loop 3 from the central portion of the outer long sides thereof extend the integral curved arms 4 and 5, respectively, which are united by solder or otherwise to the back plate 6 of the button 1. The arms 4 and 5 are preferably of unequal lengths, but at their outer ends are parallel to each other, as shown. The shorter arm 4 preferably unites with the back plate 6 at or very near to one edge of the button 1. The loop 3 is bent transversely into an arc-shaped curve, shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 7. All these parts 3, 4, and 5. are integral, cut from a single piece of sheet metal. Two diametrically opposite stop pins 7 and 8, in alinement with each other, extend radially toward the center of said loop, leaving, however, an intermediate space 9, best seen in Fig. 4.

The button 2 has the straight bar 10 with the two parallel arms 11 and 12, which are of preferably unequal length, the shorter arm uniting with the back plate 13,of the button 2 at or very near one edge of said button. An integral shank or bar 14 extends midway from the part 10 and in a line parallel to the lines of the arms 11 and 12. The bar 14 is curved transversely in an arc-shape, as best seen in Fig. 3. The outer portion of the bar 14 terminates in an integral cross bar or T- shaped head 15, having rounded ends 15 and 15 The cross bar 15 has a thickness equal to the width of the space 9, which is between the ends of the stop pins 7 and 8, so as to be slidable therethrough. The shank or bar 14, however, is of a width greater than that of the space 9 (Fig. 4) and cannot pass between the inner ends of the pins 7 and 8, when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. ilhe cross bar 15 is slightly longer than the BFy the pins 7 and 8 the interior space of the loop 3 is equally divided into two semielliptical apertures or openings 16 and 17, the ma or radial length of each of which is approximately equal to the width of the bar 14 as best illustrated in Fig. 6 where said bar is shown as seen in cross-section on line a: as of Fig. 7.

The two ends 18 and 19 of a cuff are provided with button-holes 20 and 21, respectively, through which the links of said cuff button are inserted and engaged,the arts 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, constituting the one integra link of the button 1, and the parts 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 constituting the one integral link of the button 2.

The operation of said improved link button is as follows. The two ends of the cuff are placed together as shown in Fig. 1 at 18 and 19*, the dotted lines 19 representing the end 19 of the cuff brought into contact with the cuff end 18 with the two buttonholes 20 and 21 registering with each other, as there seen. The button 1 has its link ortion (3, 4, 5, 7, 8,) inserted through both the buttonholes 20 and 21. Then the button 2 with its link portion (10, 11, 12, 14, 15) is con nected with said link portion of the button 1, entirely outside of the cuff end 19 The end 15 of the cross bar (Fig. 5) is inserted into the opening 17 of the loop 3 (Fig. 4) on the convex side of said loop, and is then tipped slightly in the direction and manner indicated in Fig. 2, with the central part of said cross bar 15, extending between the inner ends of the pins 7 and 8. The button 2 is then moved sidewise, in the direction indicated by the arrow 22 to the position shown in Fig. 7. Here it is seen that the cross bar 15 has come to be parallel to the arm 5 of the button 1 and to slightly project beyond the outer end of the loop 3, the bar or shank 14 just filling the space between the said end of the loop and the ends of the pins 7 and 8, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. Finally, by a quarter-turn in a reverse direction the end 15 of the cross bar is brought around into the position shown in Fig. 3, where the cross bar 15 underlies the concave side of the loop 3 in contact therewith. This is the wearing position, and, as seen in Figs. land 3, the arms 4 and 5, the inner and outer ends of the loop 3 of the button 1 and the bar 14 and arms 11 and 12 of the button 2 are all in one plane, the curvatures of the transverse bending of the bar 14 and of the loop 3 allowing said relative positions. WVhen the two said link portions of the buttons 1 and 2 have thus been engaged, the cuff end 19 is moved to the position shown in solid lines at 19 so that the entire link portions of both said buttons extend between the cufi ends 18 and 19, the arms 4 and 5 being held from rotation by the button hole 20 and the arms 11 and 12 being held from rotation by the buttonhole 21, as shown in Fig. 1. The resiliency of the starched cuff 18, 19, which presses outwardly, compels the link portions of the buttons 1 and 2 to take and maintain the extended position illustrated in Fig.1. Any accidental pressure inwardly against said cuff ends 18, 19, or either of them, will not, however, detach the cross bar 15, from its engagement with the loop 3 in the opening 17 thereof, because such pressure or inward thrust will be resisted by the stop pins 7 and 8, which will not allow any inward movement of the cross bar 15, or of the bar 14. ment of the parts can dislodge the cuff buttons from the cuff, or unfasten the cross bar 15 from the loop 3, except all the link motions hereinbefore described are made consecutively in a reverse order. Any mere rotary movement cannot separate the links from each other, as the shank 14 will run up on the convex surface of the loop 3 and the pins 7 and 8 will limit and prevent further displacement. In case, however, the cuff No move is soft and not starched, or insuflicicntly starched to give the necessary resilience, the linked buttons are not liable to loss or displacement because if by any means the shank or bar 14 works loose from its engagement with the locking aperture 17, it simply moves into the locking aperture 16, which serves as an inner stop, and is held by the pins 7 and 8 as before, so that whether said shank is in engagement with the aperture 16 when the cuff is soft and starched, or with the aperture 17 when the cuff is stiff and resilient, the two links cannot separate accidentally.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The improved link cuff button herein described, consisting of the combination of a button having an oblong loop supported thereon which is provided with two inwardly directed stop ins in alinement with each other but separated from each other by a space, which pins are located midway the length of said loop; and a second button having a shank or bar supported thereon, which is wider than said space and is provided with a terminal cross bar, whose thickness is equal to said space, the cross bar being insertible into and engageable with said loop, substantially as specified.

2. The improved. link cuff button herein described, consisting of the combination. of a button having an oblong loop supported thereon, which is transversely curved; two inwardly directed stop pins extending centrally from the loop at right angles to the major diameter thereof and in alinement, whose inner ends are separated from each other by a space; a second button having a shank supported thereon which is transversely curved, said shank being wider than said space and a terminal cross bar on said shank, whose thickness is equal to said space,

the cross bar being insertible into and engageable with said loop, substantially as specified.

3. The improved link cuff button herein described, consisting of the combination. of a button; a link fastened thereto and transversely curved near its outer end and provided with two adjacent semi-elliptical apertures or openings with an inter-communicating narrow space; a second button having a link fastened thereto and comprising a shank transversely curved near its outer end and capable of a rotary movement in the outermost of said apertures or openings of the first named link, and a cross bar intogral with said shank at right angles thereto, which bar is insertible into said aperture .or opening and said narrow space and then engageable with said curved link first aforesaid 111 and across the outer aperture thereof.

The improved link cufl button herein described, consisting of the combination of a button; a link fastened thereto and transversely curved near its outer end and rovided with an inner a erture 16 and wit an outer aperture 17 wit an intercommunicatmg narrow space; a second button having a link fastened thereto and comprising a shank transversely curved near itsouter end and 

